Cracker
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey
429 Records

Since the early 1990s, and most famously with 1993’s platinum selling Kerosene Hat, Cracker has been providing an interesting take on contemporary alternative country (think Wilco with a harder edge to the songwriting and guitar playing). Chalk full of Americana, soft rock, and even classic punk influences, Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey promises to be pretty eccentric and interesting, but largely belies that promise.
“Yalla Yalla”, the opening track is mid-tempo, guitar-based, middle of the road music: nothing to celebrate and a good example of what follows. “I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right,” is a rare standout. The instruments swirl from channel to channel and singer David Lowrey lets himself go in the chorus section – something that record could use a lot more of. The lyrics are at times clever and fresh, but often sink into a repetitive funk that gets bogged down by the overused melodies.
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey isn’t a bad record, but it isn’t a good one either. Listening to it expecting a new millennium Kerosene Hat is setting up for disappointment, but it could serve alright as background noise while doing something more important. Posted: Jun 25, 2009